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Invisible victims of human trafficking in 2023
Nearly 600 child victims since 2019
In the 2023 Invisible Victims of Human Trafficking report, the Centre against Child and Human Trafficking (CKM) not only looks at conversations about human trafficking on the Chat met Fier help line in 2023 but also reviewed data from the past five years. During that period, nearly 600 minors who were victims of sexual or criminal exploitation reached out via chat—more than double the number of minirs who were officially registered in the same timeframe.
Children exploited over a long period of time
Alarmingly, as in previous years, many of these children are exploited for a year or longer before they manage to find help. “The fact that this remains unchanged is unacceptable. We cannot allow this to become normalized,” says Shamir Ceuleers, head of CKM. He calls on the Netherlands to do more to protect children from exploitation.
Over a thousand victims of trafficking found help through the chat
From 2019 to 2023, the online counselors at Chat met Fier spoke with over 1,200 adults and minors who were forced into prostitution or criminal activity. Nearly half of them were 17 years old or younger, with the youngest victims being under 10. The vast majority (85%) were in unsafe situations at the time of the help line conversation.
Persons paying to have sex must be aware of exploitation
Additionally, the chats revealed that about half of the men who engage in sex with these children must have known the victims were being exploited—for example, due to the child's very young age or the involvement of an adult. CKM is particularly concerned about this group of victims, as they do not seem to be reflected in official trafficking statistics in the Netherlands. These victims are likely to be exceptionally isolated and vulnerable.
Underage victims remain underdetected
A significant finding is that most victims reaching out to the helpline are not yet known to the authorities or other organizations. In fact, the number of underage victims identified by these agencies has reached an alarming low point in recent years, while the number of child victims in The Netherlands is not believed to have decreased. Ceuleers emphasizes: “This makes the chat conversations one of the most critical sources of information on young victims in the Netherlands. In addition to providing essential support for victims, the helpline data analysis provides insights into trends, including where and how victims are recruited and exploited. We also gain a better understanding of who the perpetrators and clients are. These insights are invaluable for improving efforts to combat human trafficking.”
Recruited on social media
The role of social media continues to grow. On average, a quarter of the victims meet their exploiters online, particularly through platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, or dating apps. Additionally, sextortion (threat to share sexually explicit or nude images of the victim) remains one of the primary methods exploiters use to coerce victims into sex or other activities. Ceuleers stresses: “Social media platforms and sex advertisement sites are not doing enough to prevent abuse, including recruitment practices and the posting of sex ads involving minors. It’s high time the Minister of Justice and Security intervenes and introduces legislation.”
Sharp increase in victims of criminal exploitation
While victims of criminal exploitation rarely reached out in previous years, 2023 saw a sharp increase, with 84 people seeking help. Many of them were victims of child criminal exploitation, and the majority boys. Three-quarters (76%) of victims were forced to commit drug-related crimes. The increase in victims reaching out to the help line is likely due to greater awareness about criminal exploitation in The Netherlands as well as targeted online and offline campaigns to reach victims. Ceuleers: “This shows that it is indeed possible to identify hard-to-reach and formerly invisible victims of this form of human trafficking.”
Need help?
Are you being forced to have sex with others or commit illegal acts, and do you want to talk about it? You can chat anonymously with counselors of Fier, who can also help you if you wish. You decide what you want to share. Visit chatmetfier.nl.
Previous reports
Read last year's report, as well as reports on victims of trafficking supported through Chat with Fier help line in previous years: 2021, 2020, 2019 (all in Dutch).